Carol Silva Moralez to lead new adult education organization
by October 7, 2021 11:00 am 644 views
Springdale nonprofit Excellerate Foundation announced Thursday (Oct. 7) that Carol Silva Moralez is the first president and CEO of Upskill NWA.
The new adult education organization is being incubated within Excellerate Foundation in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation. Each organization is providing $3 million for a three-year rollout phase.
Upskill NWA’s goal is to move lower-income wage earners to higher-wage, high-demand jobs through additional education and certification.
According to a news release, the first cohort of 100 participants is launching in January 2022. Upskill NWA will provide assistance with tuition and all academic fees, as well as connect participants to additional wraparound services (rental assistance, child care, transportation, etc.) that will allow regular class attendance.
It will also provide “career navigators” that will work with each participant to develop “life skills” (e.g. time management, teamwork, financial literacy, credit counseling) to better their chances of success in the workplace and at home.
“I am honored to work with Excellerate Foundation and all the philanthropic, educational and community health partners of Upskill NWA,” Moralez said in a statement. “I look forward to waking up every day with a mission to connect people to new careers by helping them access educational and job opportunities. I am passionate about this life-changing work and can’t wait to lead this talented team in paving the way for our future leaders.”
Moralez was more recently a partner at Serve2Perform, a professional development firm in Fayetteville that provides thought leadership, training and technology for companies. She also served as lead partner and co-chair of LatinXNA, a Northwest Arkansas empowerment campaign.
She previously had an impactful career at Walmart Inc. and played a key role in the rollout of the Walmart Academy training program, where front-line hourly supervisors, department managers and assistant managers receive two to six weeks of training. She is a board member of Community Clinic of Northwest Arkansas.
“We are very excited to have Carol step into the leadership role of Upskill NWA,” Excellerate Foundation President and CEO Jeff Webster said in a statement. “Her business experience and community engagement skills combined with her unique personal journey makes her the ideal person to lead this exciting new venture.”